RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY PETITIONS U.S. FOREST SERVICE TO SUSTAIN YOUNG FOREST HABITAT
RGS has filed a legal challenge to compel the Forest Service to follow the law.
The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) has filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) due to the agency’s consistent failure to provide the young forest habitats required by the ruffed grouse, American woodcock, golden-winged warbler and other game and nongame wildlife on national forests throughout the eastern United States.
“The failure of national forests in Regions 8 and 9 to meet even their own minimum goals for young forest habitats has contributed to substantial declines in the populations of game and nongame wildlife that depend upon these habitats.” said RGS President and CEO John Eichinger. According to Ryan Woody, an attorney representing RGS on the Petition from the firm of Matthiesen, Wickert and Lehrer, S.C., “The failure of the U.S. Forest Service to sustain young forest habitats sufficient to support viable populations of ruffed grouse and other wildlife that require these habitats on the Chattahoochee (GA), Hoosier (IN) and Sumter (SC) National Forests is a clear violation of regulations promulgated under the National Forest Management Act.”
On other national forests in the east, wildlife populations that thrive only in young forests continue to decline. For example, the Wayne National Forest in Ohio has established only 2 percent of the young forest acreage identified as a minimum goal in its forest plan. The Jefferson National Forest in Virginia has established only 12 percent of the young forest acreage identified as a minimum goal, while the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee has established only 13 percent.
“From the heart of ruffed grouse country in the Great Lakes region, to the historic covers of New England and the hills of the Appalachians, ruffed grouse and other wildlife of young forests have been poorly served by the Forest Service. RGS takes this step reluctantly, but has little alternative due to the Forest Service’s lack of response to our repeated efforts to work collaboratively,” continued Eichinger. “These deficiencies indicate a systemic problem that demands the attention of our most senior officials within the Forest Service.”
The anti hunting agenda of the feds, went well with too much of old growth..... they knew it,,,,,,
I have also said, if you are truly a deer hunter, than the #1 organization to belong to and contribute to is the RGS.
ITS ALL ABOUT HABITAT
I would like to know about this, it would be a serious issue for me, that I would like to know about.....
I will see gary zimmer next week, a biologist for RGS, so I would like to know, send me a pm if that is more comfortable for you
Drop Tine's Link
Fire used to be the main factor in making sure there was enough young growth for a varied habitat but man no longer allows fires to burn. Forestry replaced fires but now the tree huggers think it's wrong to cut any tree. Go walk through a true mature forest and you will see very few animals. Now walk through a 20 year old forest and you will see every animal imaginable. But I'm not saying anything we don't all already know.
